Whither sustainable development?
Pakistan ranked 134th on the Global SDG Index this year, down from 130th in 2019.
Afshan Subohi
Fighting poverty without data
Relevant statistics on inequality have not been updated since 2015-16.
Rotten to the bone
The anti-encroachment drive in Karachi is a cruel exercise in futility.
Soliciting animosity for no good reason
There is no point in fanning the anxieties in the civil service ranks over the issue
of pensions.
Have exports turned the corner for real?
Pakistan managed to post 5.8pc growth in exports in July on a year-on-year basis after recording an annual drop of 54pc in April.
How quickly can firms bounce back?
About 3-5pc of big businesses in Pakistan did manage to make adjustments to ride through the tough phase comparatively unscathed.
Virus puts a damper on Eid economy
The size of related economic activities is Rs100bn-110bn this year, down by 50pc from a year ago.
CPEC 2.0: full speed ahead
Independent experts found the assumption that the Chinese prefer a particular political party in Pakistan baseless.
How necessary are pension reforms?
Government employees earn on average about 49pc more than their counterparts in the private sector.
Buyers’ exit fails to stem dollar surge
Dip in leisure travelling, overseas education spending, suspension of khaipia business leaves market operators with few options.
Traders left at their wits’ end
"The government is perceived as an alien entity when it turns a blind eye to people’s compelling problems".
Adjusting to the new normal
More than half of the top 150 CEOs consider federal budget a non-event, according to a recent survey.
A wash-rinse-repeat exercise
The historical baggage of corruption, political biases and underperformance failed to rekindle hope or generate much goodwill
Crunched in the middle
The share of kitchen expenditure in household income is going to rise significantly for the middle class.
The fiscal fight drags on
Big business wishes to cover its losses and quell the possibility of a disaster tax on the corporate sector
Coronavirus upheaval tosses big players to the sidelines
Uncertainty, fear and clipped family income altered the Eid market beyond recognition.
Eid economy recuperates
Pakistanis are estimated to have spent Rs560bn on Eid, down 30pc from the 2019 estimate of Rs800bn.
Pandemic cuts into Ramazan donations
The share of contribution from the middle class has shrunk.
Easing away from lockdown
Joblessness seems to have weakened the government’s resolve to extend the lockdown until the deadly virus plateaus.
Adrift in a sea of uncertainty
The future of the country in the end will depend on the lessons learned from the current experience.